Dormition Abbey and lunch on the rooftops

So our free day a couple weeks ago was so FUN! While we ate lunch on the rooftops of the Christian quarter, we had a photo shoot. 

Mount Scopus (where we live) is in the distance.

In the morning, we rushed to go to Mass at the Dormition Abbey, SUCH a beautiful church. The Mass was in German, so we couldn't understand anything, but it was really cool, and my 2 years of German in high school allowed me to be able to pronounce the words that we sang. The Dormition Abbey is on Mount Zion, right outside of the Old City, and it was built on the remains of a Byzantine church in about 1900. The Abbey is next to a church that has been traditionally known to be the "upper room" of the Last Supper. Our professor told us otherwise, but it is very similar or very near where the Last Supper would have taken place!

Dormition Abbey

The "upper room"

Entrance to David's Tomb.

Lunch on the rooftops.

Valentine's Day in Neot Kedumim

We spent our Valentine's Day at a beautiful nature reserve called Neot Kedumim. We learned about plants, and cisterns, and trees, and making zatar, and pita, and all sorts of cool things! It was a super fun day. Oh yes, we also herded sheep.

Valentine's love from Abby and I. Unfortunately our heart got cut off.

I am making zatar, a spice made from grinding a dried hysop plant. This spice is very similar to oregano, it smells like pizza :)

The sheep we herded.

Look at me out in front! Leading the herd with my incredibly shepherding skills.

They love me.

My dear, dear friends Abby, Ally, and Britt!

This was a mill thing for water, we got to fun inside of it like hamsters to turn the water.

Good day!

"Shfela, Shfela, Goliath's back!"

Welcome to the beautiful spring green of the Shfela in February. The Shfela is the low hill country west of Jerusalem, and it is GORGEOUS! As you can see. This was an awesome field trip, we went to the biblical sites of David and Goliath, Samson, and many others! The first couple pictures are from our first stop, the old Philistine city of Gath, now a beautiful green tel. Enjoy!

View from the top of the tel

Walking to the top.

Ally and I!

The next two photos are from the bell caves at tel-Maresha. Another awesome city from biblical times.

Abby and I in the caves!

Lawrence and Donovan, two of the biggest guys here. haha. Love them.

                                    

 Lachish, a city conquered by the Assyrians and Babylonians

Lachish, with the ominous rain clouds coming ever closer.

 View of the siege ramp, where the Assyrians and Babylonians would have attacked.

On top of Lachish, rainbow in the distance. :)

Tel Beth-shemesh

On top of Beth-shemish looking down into the Sorek Valley

Elah Valley

Throwing some stones in a sling-shot in the Elah Valley. Just like David! Elah was the place that David killed Goliath.

p.s. I just successfully finished my finals, therefore I am blogging! Judaism was worse than everyone expected, and Islam was easier than everyone expected! But we got our Old Testament grades back today and I have an A! Yay me!

Do you believe this? Yes or not?

So, I know these are from Egypt, which was more than a month ago, but I just got them from other cameras and I wanted you to see them! Also, I miss Egypt sometimes, so I like looking at pictures :)

And the title of this blog is a reference to our awesome guide.

Greg, me, and my roommate Sarah! with the Pyramids of Giza in the background.

Creepy? I think so. But this was the nicest restroom we stopped at on our way there.

Skyler, Abby, and I on our Falukah ride down the Nile!

Me on our camel ride! That was fun.

 Abby and I chilling at the Sheraton Hotel in Luxor. What a great friend :)

Jericho and the Garden Tomb

Jericho was one of our first field trips and it was so cool! 800 ft below sea level, it was almost 10 degrees warmer than Jerusalem, and there is so much awesome history!

In the background is the area of the Mount of Temptations, where Christ was tempted by the devil.

This is a neolithic tower, probably the oldest in the world. Found while excavating where the original city would have been. This is even older than Abraham!

My lovely roommate Daniel and I standing in front of what may have been the infamous walls of Jericho!

In the background are the remains of Herod's palace in Jericho. This is also where he died.

This is Golgotha, the hill where Jesus was traditionally crucified. Golgotha translates as skull, and if you look closely enough you can see the skull  in the rock, towards the right. Also pictured is the Garden Tomb, which used to be thought as the place Jesus was buried, but the dating of the tomb is too recent to have been used in Jesus' time. But he would have been buried in a tomb very similar to it.

The crucifixion would not have taken place on the hill, but just below. Now there is a bus lot there... 

close up of the skull

Garden Tomb